Patagonian bonneted bat
# Patagonian bonneted bat

The Patagonian bonneted bat (Eumops patagonicus), also called the Patagonian dwarf bonneted bat, is a species of free-tailed bat found in Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay.

## Taxonomy and etymology

It was described as a new species in 1924 by British zoologist Oldfield Thomas. Thomas had obtained the holotype from Argentinean-Italian scientist Roberto Dabbene, who worked in Buenos Aires at the time. Its species name "patagonicus" means "belonging to Patagonia." The Patagonian bonneted bat was widely considered a subspecies of the dwarf bonneted bat (Eumops bonariensis) from approximately 1932 until the 1990s. Based on Gregorin et al.'s 2016 classification, the Patagonian bonneted bat is a member of the bonariensis species group of the genus Eumops. Other members include the dwarf bonneted bat, E. delticus, and E. nanus.

## Description

It is a small member of its genus, with a forearm length of 44 mm (1.7 in). Its head and body is 54 mm (2.1 in); its tail is 31 mm (1.2 in) long; its ears are 14.5 mm (0.57 in) long.

## Range and habitat

Its range includes several countries in southern South America, including Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay.

## Conservation

It is currently evaluated as least concern by the IUCN—its lowest conservation priority. It meets the criteria for this assessment because it has a large range, its population size is likely large, and it is not thought to be in rapid population decline.

